Author Topic: Could not load game successfully  (Read 3068 times)

Offline Admiral

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Could not load game successfully
« on: June 23, 2009, 12:27:23 am »
Hello,

First: Let me say I'm really quite enjoying this game. I've been playing the same 2-player game for four nights now (40 star systems, AI levels 3 and 5) and we're probably 8-10 hours into the game. Great work; makes me want to be a (professional) game developer.

Bug with this particular release: I was playing a two player game and we could not load a save from 1.007F from either computer as host. The game kept saying "Waiting for Players..." after both of us had joined.

Other problems with releases since 1.005:

Additionally, despite both having .NET 3.5 SP 1 (and the same two KB#### Hotfixes per software update), there are frequent desyncs. This never happened under 1.005, but began under 1.006 (release) and we tried several 1.007-betas to see if it helped. 1.007F seems better than 1.006, but it still happens, typically under heavy load.

The two computers are:

Vista x64, Quad core single CPU, 8G RAM - usually the host
Vista x32, Dual core single CPU (laptop), 3G RAM
Both: Gig-E, wired LAN

It is too bad I can't attach the two save games (made without TBS and paused) to the forum. They are about 400-600k and the limit is 128k.

Also, though I bought the game from Impulse, I stopped using Impulse as their updates come out too slowly. Or, you put them out too fast. You rock that way. :)

Thanks!

Offline x4000

  • Chris McElligott Park, Arcen Founder and Lead Dev
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Re: Could not load game successfully
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2009, 09:19:05 am »
Hi there,

Welcome to the forums!  Glad to have you here, and glad to hear you are enjoying the game so much! :)

Bug with this particular release: I was playing a two player game and we could not load a save from 1.007F from either computer as host. The game kept saying "Waiting for Players..." after both of us had joined.

What process had you used for joining?  This might sound silly, but I just have to check, since I haven't seen this and have succeeded in loading multiplayer saves in this version.  To successfully load a multiplayer savegame, the host just loads the game, and then the non-host computers just join to the game as usual (they do not load their own savegame -- that would put them in separate games entirely).  If that doesn't work, can you send me the offending savegame?  You can email me files at chrispark7 at gmail dot com.  Thanks!

Additionally, despite both having .NET 3.5 SP 1 (and the same two KB#### Hotfixes per software update), there are frequent desyncs. This never happened under 1.005, but began under 1.006 (release) and we tried several 1.007-betas to see if it helped. 1.007F seems better than 1.006, but it still happens, typically under heavy load.

The two computers are:

Vista x64, Quad core single CPU, 8G RAM - usually the host
Vista x32, Dual core single CPU (laptop), 3G RAM
Both: Gig-E, wired LAN

Hmm, this is distressing, I have not seen this.  Do you frequently pause the game?  Pausing the game in 1.006/1.007 prior to 1.007H could indeed cause a desync in multiplayer if TBS-Friendly Pause was turned on (the default).  The desync might come a bit after the pause, but the root cause would have been that.  I have not seen this since, however, and have played several hours of successful multiplayer (as have some other folks).

So if it's happening during general gameplay, I think it must be related to your specific game and whatever ships are in use in it.  Can you email me those two savegames, as well?  I'll look into the forum size limits, not sure if I can change that but I will sure try.

Also, though I bought the game from Impulse, I stopped using Impulse as their updates come out too slowly. Or, you put them out too fast. You rock that way. :)

Thanks!  Impulse does get the patches weekly, and you can still use their client for those and just overwrite the files for our game with the latest prerelease, same as you would with a non-Impulse version.  We release "official" patches on the same frequency as Impulse does for our game, we just do the prereleases here in the forums on a more freuquent basis.  Glad to hear you're enjoying the game and the patches, anyway!
Have ideas or bug reports for one of our games?  Mantis for Suggestions and Bug Reports. Thanks for helping to make our games better!

Offline x4000

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Re: Could not load game successfully
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2009, 09:26:21 am »
Also:  Just as an update, I have now increased the size limits on the forum attachments.  They can now be up to 5MB each, just to be on the safe side. :D
Have ideas or bug reports for one of our games?  Mantis for Suggestions and Bug Reports. Thanks for helping to make our games better!

Offline Admiral

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Re: Could not load game successfully
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2009, 06:06:07 pm »
What process had you used for joining?  This might sound silly, but I just have to check, since I haven't seen this and have succeeded in loading multiplayer saves in this version.

I used the regular way (as you described). Since we were frequently having de-syncs, we'd immediately save and then restart the game (exit to Windows, restart), and re-join. No problems until this version.

Also, I should mention that leaving the game entirely worked to slow down the desyncs more than just quitting to the main menu and restarting. That led me to think that the desync was related to resource leakage.

Attached please find the save game that would not load (filename "Final" in it). Do you need the user names? I assume they are put in there as it always says "Waiting for you" in the join screen.

Hmm, this is distressing, I have not seen this.  Do you frequently pause the game?

Well, we turned off TBS-friendly pausing since we read something about it in the sticky thread in the support forum. There were not frequent pauses; they were actually relatively infrequent, given the limited utility of non-TBS pausing. (Usually only when going into a sector with an ion cannon so as to locate it.)

I will attach the other two save games - that should have been identical unless we neglected to pause it properly (identical, that is, aside from the desync). They are the ones not labeled "final".


Impulse does get the patches weekly, and you can still use their client for those and just overwrite the files for our game with the latest prerelease, same as you would with a non-Impulse version.  We release "official" patches on the same frequency as Impulse does for our game.

It is the lag on the official releases that I don't like Impulse for. Also, Impulse's predecessor (Stardock Central) used to have a "beta" install option as well, where you could put betas. I don't know if Impulse does that, but if so, you might consider tying into there as well, and seeing about streamlining the process with them (i.e., no Impulse personnel required to update your game/assets/changelog, etc.).

That said, when possible I buy from Impulse now-a-days because I trust Stardock not to mistreat me as a customer, as so many other (large) companies seem to do these days. I don't even trust Amazon or Apple, and Amazon has some of the best customer service I've seen in the last 12 years (since becoming their customer in early '97).

Cheers!

PS: Now that you have larger attachments... Do you still prefer gmail or attachments?

PPS: Is there any private or identifiable information in the saves that I should consider before posting them on the forums?

Offline x4000

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Re: Could not load game successfully
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2009, 09:43:07 pm »
I used the regular way (as you described). Since we were frequently having de-syncs, we'd immediately save and then restart the game (exit to Windows, restart), and re-join. No problems until this version.

Also, I should mention that leaving the game entirely worked to slow down the desyncs more than just quitting to the main menu and restarting. That led me to think that the desync was related to resource leakage.

Gotcha -- I will check that out tomorrow morning, and see what I can see.  Thanks for posting the savegames, that will really help.

Attached please find the save game that would not load (filename "Final" in it). Do you need the user names? I assume they are put in there as it always says "Waiting for you" in the join screen.

I can get the usernames straight out of the save, just as you say, so no worries there.  Thanks for checking!

It is the lag on the official releases that I don't like Impulse for. Also, Impulse's predecessor (Stardock Central) used to have a "beta" install option as well, where you could put betas. I don't know if Impulse does that, but if so, you might consider tying into there as well, and seeing about streamlining the process with them (i.e., no Impulse personnel required to update your game/assets/changelog, etc.).

Right now, I have to go through them.  They are planning an update to their whole platform for later this year, so we'll see what they can do then.  Right now we're doing the best with them that we can, though.  And I doubt I will ever do frequent betas outside my own site, since that would really increase the amount of work for me once we are on more distribution sites.  We'll see how things are in the future, but that's my current feeling -- I'm the only programmer, so that's a lot of potential extra load for me, and I don't want there to be any incentive for me to do less frequent prereleases or something.

That said, when possible I buy from Impulse now-a-days because I trust Stardock not to mistreat me as a customer, as so many other (large) companies seem to do these days. I don't even trust Amazon or Apple, and Amazon has some of the best customer service I've seen in the last 12 years (since becoming their customer in early '97).

Yes, Impulse is really quite wonderful -- the Stardock staff, too.  I think your trust is very well placed with them, they've gained mine as well. :)

PS: Now that you have larger attachments... Do you still prefer gmail or attachments?

Really doesn't make any difference to me, at this stage -- whatever is easiest for you!

PPS: Is there any private or identifiable information in the saves that I should consider before posting them on the forums?

Nope, it has your profile names in there, but that's it.  Nothing about your computer, ip, or anything else.  No serial numbers or anything.  Just stuff about the state of the specific campaign, what version it was saved with, and so on.  So no worries there!
Have ideas or bug reports for one of our games?  Mantis for Suggestions and Bug Reports. Thanks for helping to make our games better!

Offline x4000

  • Chris McElligott Park, Arcen Founder and Lead Dev
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Re: Could not load game successfully
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2009, 11:04:35 pm »
Okay, sorry about this, but apparently the Waiting For Players thing was due to your using non-TBS-Friendly Pause mode.  This is now corrected in the latest prerelease, and I suspect this will also resolve the desync issue you were having.  However, I'm going to analyze your uploaded save files in more depth in the morning to make sure that's all it was.

Thanks for your help with this, and your patience!  Here's the new version:  http://arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,139.0.html
Have ideas or bug reports for one of our games?  Mantis for Suggestions and Bug Reports. Thanks for helping to make our games better!

 

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